Trees on the Riverbank

A Mighty Fortress

2011-04-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

I learned a lot during our team’s visit to Gibraltar on Sunday. We attended a Methodist church that several of the staff here attends. On the way over to Gibraltar from where we are staying you actually have to cross a border and technically leave Spain and enter the British Commonwealth. Gibraltar is a territory with its own governor and management but it is a part of the United Kingdom. All the signs are in English and you can find uniquely British products like Marmite and baked beans—or so I’m told. I am fairly sure this is the first time I had to have my passport out to attend church. The sermon was from Ezekiel 37 where the valley of dry bones come to life and also included the story of the raising of Lazarus in the New Testament. The pastor talked about both the centrality of Jesus and how God speaks life into our dry places. The worship was especially sweet for me. I think I must like guitar players that have dreadlocks; perhaps they are antennae for the Holy Spirit.

After church we popped over to a small plaza for lunch at an outdoor restaurant. I got the chance to play with 18 month old Caleb. We chased pigeons, found every dirty piece of anything lying on the ground, hollered loudly in a small pedestrian tunnel to hear the resonance, pretended we were in jail using the metal handrails and spent some time chatting on the pay phone—all before our food arrived.

Afterwards we hired a taxi tour to take the team up the rock of Gibraltar to see the sites. I had enough geography to know that Gibraltar was a high point at the narrow point separating the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean but until I saw the thing in person I didn’t realize how dominant of a feature this rock is. Climbing right out of the salt water the white face shoots strait to the sky. The road up to the top does the same.

Along the way, as well as spectacular views, you visit a large cave that was set up as a unique theater and opera house for special events. At times it was also used as a hospital and other operations that needed a safe place to operate during hostile military conflicts.

The next stop was the apes. Apes are like monkeys without tails and were introduced to Gibraltar presumably by the Moors at some point in history. However, the legend goes that the British will hold control of Gibraltar as long as there are still apes living there. Now they are a tourist attraction and are fed regularly and kept healthy for the tourists.

It is definitely worth the price of admission. Since then, I’ve been humming the old hymn “A mighty fortress is our God.”Because of the rock’s strategic location, the history is basically one of trying to forcibly take control of that relatively small piece of real estate. At some point the Brits had the great idea of chiseling tunnels into the rock to protect and defend against the various sieges.

They chiseled holes for cannons that allowed them to defend their positions from within the rock itself. Incredible to think of spending months inside a cave with hostile forces surrounding your position inside a rock tunnel.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth, his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill; God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever.

As I read the words of the last stanza that speaks about losing goods and family and even your very life while keeping the gifts of the Spirit and the Christian life I can’t help but reflect on the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters in the Arab world. This morning I heard the story of a Christian who did not meet a fellow Christian for three years after his conversion. And even then all involved approached the initial encounter with trepidation, not knowing if it might be a plan to uncover hidden Christians. These are the ones who can sing “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill’ God’s truth abideth still: His kingdom is forever.”

Yes, what a mighty fortress. Dig in.

Thousand Word Stories

2011-04-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Guest Blogger: Roger Reimer

What an amazing blend of cross cultural experiences . . . enjoying a couscous meal at a restaurant imbedded within a Tanger neighborhood, finding our way through a maze of narrow walkways leading to homes and neighborhood businesses offering every imaginable need.

Exploring the history of this amazing piece of real estate commonly known as the Rock of Gilbratar . . . interesting how so many different ethnic groups have struggled to gain possession of this major rock that protrudes out of the sea a little less than 1,000 meters. From its strategic military location, this has been the home of a hospital, military strategy planning place and now an adventure to explore for those who have an ounce of curiosity.

And let me tell you about the weather . . . we’ve enjoyed Mediterranean sea breezes and bright sunny days and very comfortable cool nights for the weary guest.

Familiarity with the Spanish language goes a long way in communicating with those we have crossed paths with as we spent this time in this corner of the grand olive orchard.

And finally the similarities that we have noticed from our years living in Ecuador reflect the common Hispanic ethnic origins. The pictures in the memories of our minds will always feed the stories of more than a thousand words.

Thorny Situations

2011-04-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 08, 2011

The big task for the day involved the ongoing removal of a large tree filled with sharp 3-4 inch thorns. Debbie and Roger had removed enough branches to allow clear access for me to get in with the chainsaw. One has to be very careful as you wade into the mass of sprawling branches. Once I finally got the trunk cut down it was a ton more work to cut off the small branches and feed them through the mulcher. Using chainsaw, handsaws, pruning shears, axes, hatchets and hands we broke the tree down piece by patient piece. We won’t be completely finished mulching it all until next week sometime.

What a miserable tree to work with. It really tried my patience when I took a turn feeding the thorny branches into the mulcher. I continually had to fight the urge to hurry and grab without looking and just shove the branches around. If you hurry you pay for it with painful pokes. I even got jabbed through my work gloves, another time deep into my thigh. Debbie cut a branch that swung into her head, drawing blood.

I see our work on this thorn tree as yet another metaphor for how they are sharing the Gospel in this region. Patience, persistence, methodical progress mixed with painful jabs and the occasional misstep. I can sense the zeal the folks here have and can tell they’d love to jump in with a full throttle approach, but I know that prudence rules. And yet it is so awesome to hear the innovative radio programs they are producing here. Amazing to see the strategic ways they dodge branches and duck through thorny patches, cutting here, trimming there, making the big cut when possible. What a great group of people that W has working with him.

Across the Waves

2011-04-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Before we even finished breakfast, a backhoe showed up to help remove the dead palm tree stump that Dennis and Roger removed the branches from on Monday. The inside is so rotten it smells like sewer and we were actually worried that the backhoe had damaged a sewer line or a septic tank when he was digging. But the smell was just from the decomposing palm. Apparently there is some type of worm that was accidentally imported from India that has wreaked havoc on the palm trees here in Spain, killing a lot of this palm species here. It is really too bad since they are gorgeous trees when alive. The backhoe operator made quick work of the job and even dislodged a few rocks that we were going to need to remove later on, saving us some labor.

Devotions this morning by me from 2 Corinthians 5: 16 talking about being a new creation in Christ. It is a good thing Christ is still alive in us because our bodies are dead tired today. I’ve been fighting a cold, Dennis and Roger neither one are feeling too well. Debbie seems to be the only one with much energy. Nonetheless, we cut down two more trees today and did some more mulching of the branches. We now have a huge tree that is full of thorns to run through the mulcher. It’s not going to be much fun, if you get the point.

Dennis prepped the top of the cargo container that acts as the tool shed so we can apply tar and some reflective roofing to it later on in order to seal some leaks. There is no shortage of work but our bodies don’t want to cooperate. So when Stuart asked if we would like to drive into town and grab a cup of coffee and see a few sites rather than work more after lunch there wasn’t much argument. In fact Dennis was content to simply snooze and relax rather than even go on the jaunt.

At a wonderful outdoor café on a pedestrian street near the center of town, I had a small “Spain Spanish” lesson when I ordered a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. “Juice” here is called “zumo” not “jugo” like in Latin America. After the spectacular OJ, coffee and a wonderfully warm croissant, I was pleased that Ingvar drove us home via the Mediterranean oceanfront.

The surf was higher than I’d expected and the waves crashed hard against a steep beach. I was told that they actually spend a lot of time and money pumping new sand onto the beaches every year because it gets washed away. Lots of people doing some casual fishing from the shore, but I couldn’t spot examples of their catch. We stopped on the beachfront near the ruins of an old guard tower and I was able to dip my toes in the salt water, if only just briefly. Water temperature was cool but not frigid. Maybe I’ll have to go for a swim, just to say I did. I’m not sure it will be warm enough to be pleasant.

I could just watch the waves for hours and found myself looking across the great expanse towards the lands where the name of Jesus is rarely heard except on the radio.

While sitting in the compound tonight, I wonder what harvest is being gathered across the waves from here. And smile at the pun.

Flexibility

2011-04-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Guest Blogger: Mary Lou Auckland

Devotions this morning were about wearing the yoke with Jesus. Thanks, Jesus, for being the stronger one in the yoke. Then I can see where to go and follow along the right path. It's fascinating listening to the different languages used in our prayers this morning - Arabic, Swedish, German, Irish-English and American-English. =)

We had sunshine today to work more on cleaning up the debris we had left from felling trees and trimming bushes. There are so many birds just chirping and singing away even though we took away some of their habitats. But they don't worry because God provides for the birds of the air.
Debbie is our master painter and is painting the outside staircase. She looks like the Michelin man in her white coveralls only she isn't big enough even to fit into them. But they sure protect her from the black paint. I think tomorrow we will see these two jobs done. But we have been assured that there are plenty more jobs waiting for us.
The word for the day is FLEXIBILITY!

Big Trees, Small Spaces

2011-04-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I know I’m a bit twisted, but I often see metaphors between the work a team is doing and the greater vision for the region we are working in. Told you I was weird. If you still doubt it, you can scroll back in the archives and read “High Heels and Motorcycles.” But today is a great example.

This morning our task loomed large—several evergreens, one a tall 40-footer (It looks similar to a juniper but much taller than the Colorado version) were growing near the back wall of the walled property. It overhangs a neighboring property filled with cane that is overgrown and neglected. Awhile back the team here watched helplessly from the roof with no available water pressure as the field burned and threatened to catch the evergreens on fire and thus threaten the buildings. No doubt the trees needed to come out. The small one wasn’t much challenge since it was leaning the direction we wanted to fell it. But the big guy was leaning the wrong way, or so we thought. The original plan was to take off all the limbs as high as I could go with the ladder and then tie on a rope to pull the trunk back in the direction toward open space. However, as the day progressed and I reached the upper limits of what I dared to cut off the ladder, clearing as we went, we still doubted our small team’s ability to pull the tree against its natural lean and in the direction we wanted.

Knowing the limit to our abilities, we eventually began considering the small opening between the wall and the satellite dish the radio station here uses to download some of its programming. It made me really nervous because if I missed the narrow opening when dropping the tree it would A) damage the wall and the newly installed flood lights, B) smash the satellite dish, pushing it off target and disrupting the plan for radio programming until someone could re-aim the dish, or C) if the tree was tall enough it could push a second pine tree into one of the previously noted obstacles. It definitely didn’t seem ideal, but it also seemed like the only way.

The work in this region seems to mirror this situation. Many times those who work here are forced to change their plans to adapt to the leanings in the creative access places they are working. From what I can tell they are often hemmed in with obstacles blocking the obvious direction they would like to go. If they make a wrong move the tree they are working with may smash against any number of obstacles, both spiritual and political. People could get hurt; lives are literally on the line. But as they toil away, taking down branch after branch, reaching as much of the tree as they can, working toward the task of bringing light to some very dark places, a small space is revealed—a place to drop the tree—a place to go. A narrow way, but a way nonetheless.

So with the rope tied on as high as I could reach, Dennis, Roger and Ingvar, got ready to pull. Chainsaw rattling, I made the wedge cut at the base, aiming carefully toward where the tree must fall. The back cut comes next, allowing the tree to hinge to the ground. As the wood begins to crack I retreat toward safety as I see the trunk accelerate with the rope’s hard tug. Someone yells “Timber!” and the tree crashes raucously to the ground right in the perfect position.

Just like He planned all along.

1 Corinthians 1:25: For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

The Main Thing in Spain

2011-04-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Day one working at the HCJB Global offices in Spain.

*note: some names have been omitted for security reasons.

After almost 30 hours of travel by plane, train and automobile to get to our home for two weeks in Spain, the team was wiped out. What a joy to be met at the train station by W’s vivacious German accent.

The day started with devotions and introductions and a few verses from Hebrews. After a quick cup of coffee, we got the tour of the previous team’s work to put a roof over the inner courtyard and add some new office space. There is still plenty of work needed to complete that project, but priorities for us began with a few unfinished details and in the yard outside where a veritable jungle has emerged during the rainy part of the year here. Roger and Dennis quickly jumped into pulling apart a dead palm tree, Debbie and Mary Lou grabbed their paint brushes. Lois went with U to stock up the food cabinets for our time here and I pulled the cord to start up the weed wacker. As the sweat began to drip in my sunglasses I realized we were already making some progress improving the state of the lawn and garden.

The temperature warmed up with a beautiful sunny day, but the overall temperature never got uncomfortably hot. Jet lag was asking me to stay firmly seated on the bench for a while longer after our sandwich lunch. In the end the weed wacker’s call won out. Our muscles will probably feel it tomorrow with the effort of yard work tasks that winter in Colorado has not required.

At the end of the day I was glad to have Mary Lou telling me to shut the motor off and quit. There is plenty of work to keep us busy and we are eager to help.

During devotions this morning we heard the story of a young girl who wrote in to the radio station. She had become a Jesus follower after listening and was asking if they knew of a church in her area. She lives in a closed country where believers are not welcome and no Christians are meeting near her location. Radio is her only tie to Christian fellowship in a place where following Jesus is most likely a crime. Thank you Jesus for the work being done here, both in the physical world and especially in the spiritual.

Good News from the Arab World--for a change.

2011-02-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help but pass along this good news from a part of the world we've only heard bad news about lately. Please pray for our fellow believers in North Africa and the Middle East.

Algeria: Where Revival Refuses to Cease

Aidan Clay (February 28, 2011)

"During that year we went to villages where there were no Christians, we prayed for the village, and after a few months we would hear that there were Believers there. People had dreams, visions; some of them discovered Christian radio programs. We didn't share the Gospel directly with many people, but God in His way, preached the Gospel. It was like an explosion in all the Kabylie area and it's continuing now." -Pastor Raba.

(Tizi Ouzou, Algeria)—As reported in Assist News, last year, an angry mob damaged the Tafat Church in Tizi Ouzou. International Christian Concern (ICC), a Washington DC-based human rights organization, visited Algeria, including Tizi Ouzou, just months after the attack on Tafat Church. The purpose for the visit was to encourage Algeria's Christians and assist their unmet needs, but as happens more often than not when meeting with persecuted brethren, it was ICC who came away more encouraged.

Meeting with house church pastors in remote villages in the beautiful Kabylie Mountains, they shared stories of God's work amongst their people and reminisced about Algeria's great—and enduring—20 year revival.

It is no exaggeration to say that the greatest modern Christian rebirth in the Middle East or North Africa can be attributed to the reawakening of the Church in Algeria's Kabylie region. The Kabylie revival was neither inspired by missionaries nor introduced as a foreign movement, but was ignited by a small group of faithful Believers in an obscure village. It was a rebirth indigenous to the national church where God is using dreams and visions to turn Muslims to Christ. In a country that many consider "closed" to the Gospel and where proselytism is illegal under Algerian law, the steadfast devotion of Algeria's Spirit-led Church has overcome the government's resolve to control the growth of its Christian minority.

It all began in 1981 with a 21-year-old boy from a poor family and a game of football (soccer). On the field, the young man befriended Arab visitors from a church in Algiers. It was the first time he experienced what he later recognized to be a "Christ-like" example, and the first time he heard the Gospel. It was not long before this young man, now known as Pastor Raba, would entrust his life to God and carry the weight of a great calling—reaching the Kabylie region for Christ.

Pastor Raba and three friends formed a group and began meeting weekly.

"We faced many things alone, Pastor Raba explained. "Like new Believers we faced many problems with our families, with the police, and with the authority of the village. We tried to commit together, us four, but we didn't know the Bible and we didn't know how to pray."

The group began attending a church service in Algiers—a three day's journey from their home village—as often as they could, but soon the government forced the church to close its doors. "We then decided to have meetings together even though we didn't know anything, so in prayer we said 'God, we don't know anything, but we are ready if you want to use us.'"

The group allotted the year between 1989 and 1990 for fasting and prayer. A year later, revival broke free.

"During that year we went to villages where there were no Christians, we prayed for the village, and after a few months we would hear that there were Believers there," explained Pastor Raba. "People had dreams, visions, some of them discovered Christian radio programs. We didn't share the Gospel directly with many people, but God in His way, preached the Gospel. It was like an explosion in all the Kabylie area and it's continuing now."

It is estimated that some 80,000 former Muslims in Kabylie have turned to Christ since the beginning of Algeria's great revival. Some churches are seeing incredible growth, including a Tizi Ouzou congregation that began with twelve members in 1996 and now has 900 Believers attending services. In fact, so many are coming to Christ in remote areas that it is becoming difficult to provide them with trained pastors and leadership.

The Church's growth has been most prevalent among the Berbers—not Arabs—whose rich Christian ancestry includes the 4th century theologian Augustine of Hippo.

Source: ASSIST News

God's Very Word

2011-01-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

How many times do I take for granted the Bible? I have a whole host of versions and volumes around the house. This video is a great perspective and shows the excitement of a tribe in Indonesia receiving the Bible for the first time in their own heart language. Check it out:

Kingdom Come

2010-12-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to sort out the emotions flying around inside me on this Africa trip. As the expression says in my part of the world, “This ain’t my first rodeo.” This is the third medical team I’ve been on and I continue to feel privileged to be a part of this team. We work long and hard, get dirty and sweaty, endure heat and humidity in the African sun and cram ourselves into tight transport or into often less-than-ideal conditions. Outwardly, our reward is little more than photos, a few tourist trinkets and bouts of diarrhea or dizziness.

But I rarely enjoy a group of people more. We laugh until we cry and tease each other mercilessly and irreverently. The lighthearted banter and puns fly freely throughout the day. But when the situations turn serious or an urgent need arises we are all business. And there is no doubt that the patients come first. More than once we have had to convince doctors to stop seeing patients for their own good. And once on this trip, after an already-long day in the village, Dr. Nelson examined three extra patients outside our guesthouse in Ouagadougou under the porch light, sending Jessica to fetch the appropriate medicines. We all care.

Even Lee, who has lived here the longest, shakes his head at the tragedies and hardships faced by the patients that stumble through our little makeshift medical clinics.

And that is part of what I’m feeling --the helplessness I feel in the midst of the great need. Helplessness at knowing we visited two villages and a small neighborhood clinic in an area where more than 30 villages have almost no medical care. At knowing there is another district neighboring this one that is probably just as bad if not worse. At knowing that many of the most tragic have limped away with little we can do in our little clinic.

And yet I come eagerly on these trips. Those of you that know me well recognize that I love adventure. In college my friends and I even parsed our definition of adventure by saying it had to deal with extremes of temperature, time, distance, discomfort , and/or risk to be considered a legitimate adventure. We considered the shedding of blood bonus points. Although these trips hint at adventure we do our best to minimize risk and bloodshed as well as mitigate as many extremes as possible. It isn’t only the lure of adventure that draws me.

No matter how many times I face the injustices of life and the poverty and suffering so evident in developing nations I am left with questions. But I know the echoing silence I have found on previous trips is the only real answer. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I echo the biblical passage in claiming that I know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. I love these trips because it distills life down to where that is so clear—Jesus is the only hope. Here in Africa I build my faith-foundation afresh from Jesus up.

My Bible becomes a lifeline in the midst of the storm. I devour it rather than reading out of obligation. When Dorothy borrowed my Bible earlier on this trip and I forgot to retrieve it before bed, I jokingly accused her the next day of trying to starve me. But that is sometimes how it feels. Praise songs pumping out of my MP3 player and time in the Word and in prayer become a hungering necessity rather than a dull obligation.

But to imply I come for the spiritual high these trips create would be a lie. It isn’t a high so much as a desperate lunge at the only lifeline that makes sense amidst the chaos of injustice. Underneath there is some bit of me that leans back to the story about a man throwing starfish back into the sea. He reasoned that to the ones rescued, he had at least made a difference.

I drew hope from the story our radio partner from Sierra Leone shared with us last year when he visited our medical team in Ghana. He recalled that a group of white people had visited his village when he was a child and talked about Jesus, coupling the message with fun and love that he remembered for years until the day he gave his heart to Jesus much later in life. If I could be part of something like that it would make the time away from Rachelle and Natalia worthwhile. Even that small probability makes the discomforts seem totally insignificant. And a turkey dinner with family would be a small reward compared with the surpassing riches of the Kingdom.

God’s Kingdom come here to earth. I think that is what this is about. How beautiful it is when we work together in unity, black and white, continent to continent, culture to culture. Hallelujah our Savior is alive. Those moments where you know this in your bones. Even a teensy taste of the victory we have awaiting us is so sweet. How sweet to taste the flavor of victory here in Burkina Faso, arm in arm with our Burkinabe brothers who are shining bright light here in this dry land. Amplify their voices, Lord. Intensify the light that shines here. Energize them.

And thanks for letting me be a very small part of your Kingdom coming. That is why I’m here. Yes Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus Loves the Little Children….

2010-11-27T14:12:00.001-08:00

Guest Blogger: Sheila Leech

Today we said good-bye top half of our team who headed South to Ghana for a couple of days to work with our radio partner in Bolgatanga. They will take care of children at the school associated with the radio station there.

The rest of us headed out to a rural area again, about 30 minutes drive from Ouagadougou. For the next few days, we will work at a very nice clinic that serves some very poor areas around the city.

When we arrived at the clinic, we noticed that there were many children around and when we asked why this was so. We learned that they were sick….and so they were. Some of the children were so ill that they could not stand up and were lying on the dusty floor. For a short while, I felt a bit overwhelmed and at a loss to know what to do; the sickest children were the small ones and they had no parents with them.

What could we do? We could not hand over medicines to such small children and expect them to know how to take them.

So, again, as so often happens on trips like this one, we improvised… with the help of the clinic staff we found some mattresses and laid them on the floor and put the smallest, sickest children in a darkened room to sleep.

We made frequent trips in there to monitor them, to give medicines and to ensure they were sipping on the oral rehydration fluids that we had prepared for them. It was truly rewarding to see one of them recover sufficiently to get up, even smile and have a photo taken with us…and all this by noon.

I was shocked to see how severely undernourished some of the children were. One little girl is 8 years old and is 13 kilos underweight…that’s about 28 pounds! Her tiny little face had the worried, pinched kind of appearance that malnutrition gives. Later we saw her in line for the lunch which the school provides, and saw that she has an identical twin sister…also alarmingly underweight!!! They have no mother and are being raised by their father, but it would seem that resources are pitifully scarce in that family.

One of our Ecuadorian doctors noticed how sad the children’s faces were as they came through the clinic. Not so at the school and orphanage where we saw bright happy lines of children waiting for their lunch...plastic pails in hand ready to receive large piles of rice which they then scooped into their mouths with their hands. I feel like I shook a thousand hands and said a thousand “Bonjours” to those sweet children.

Seeing the children of Africa in these past few days has really made me reflect on how important children are to Jesus and how precious they are. We learn a lot from these little ones….they trust; they do not presume; they accept; they do not judge; they wait; they do not hurry.

It is truly a privilege to reach out and extend a hand to these children and to offer albeit a cup of cold water (with rehydration salts)…in Jesus´ name.

Beautiful Patterns

2010-11-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

Ellel Medical Center in Saonre´ (half hour outside of Ouagadougou)

We have seen a lot of women and babies here at the ACTS Burkina medical center named Ellel. Nearby is a church under construction and an active school.

The beauty of the colors and patterns the Burkinabe women wear is striking and captivating. Sheila pointed out that if white women tried to wear the same things they would look schizophrenic or ragged. But these women manage to look elegant and dignified.

As I write I see a blue and orange flower pattern, yellow wheels on a blue background, pink and green prints, a purple green and blue print, orange, lime green and purple with a blue background. Simply amazing colors and patterns.

Many of the women today have been wearing covering over their heads indicating their Muslim beliefs. Our interpreter, Rachel, said that when her mother became a Christian she needed to leave home and live with her pastor’s family.

She was told by her mother that she wouldn't be able to have children. However, praise God, she ended up with 11 kids, one of whom interpreted for us here for the last few days.

Doctors Sanchez and Leon examined 67 patients at the clinic this morning. The word from the team in Ghana is that all is going well there also.

We plan to reunite tomorrow (11-27).

Moving On

2010-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Tansega: Tuesday(11-23), the final day here also marked our final day with the whole team. The plan was to stop work a bit early and go to see patients at our HCJB Global Voice radio partner, RED.

On Wednesday (11-24), the group will split up. Lee Sonius will head back home to Accra, Ghana. One part of the team, including Steve and Dorothy Nelson, Jessica McMillan, Emily Martin and Rebecca Weber, will hop in a van travelling three hours south to the border of Ghana and cross over to assist another radio partner, Peter Awane in Bolgatanga. They will be met at the border by missionary Joseph Kebbie, HCJB Global radio trainer who also lives in Accra.

They will see patients and children with Dr. Steve, Emily and Jessica working up the medical side. Dorothy and Rebecca will have a whole new crew of children to minister to. They return to Burkina Faso on Saturday (11-27) to rejoin the team, minus Emily who flies to Accra to plan and strategize for her full-time return.

In the meantime, Doctor Xavier Sanchez, Dr. Dora Leon, Sheila Leech and I will stay in Ouagadougou and work in a medical clinic on the outskirts of the city where a lady named Joanna has a community health clinic associated with a school, orphan care and microenterprise as well.

Silly Human Tricks

2010-11-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

The team's medical focus is directly linked to the central purpose of proclaiming Christ and making our Burkina Faso partners look good.

But also on our list of purposes has to be the spreading of joy. Dorothy and Rebecca make more smiles in the first hour than can be imagined.

Lee and I do our best when we can. Hardly an hour goes by that Lee isn’t discussing football (that's soccer to some of us) while promoting his favorite team. All of Africa - at least those who have met Lee- knows it is Manchester United.

He will quickly coin a nickname for anyone and uses it until they smile. He can also flick bottle caps to the kids, quickly drawing a crowd. If called on, he is very talented at walking on his hands. But this trip I found out I can juggle better.

Emily says that every time she saw Lee today, he had a new ornament of some kind. He grabs stickers when Rebecca hands them out and sticks them on his shirt; he gets his face painted along with the kids and wears his proudly all day; he stocks up his wrist with stretchy bracelets and gives them away one by one to whomever catches his eye as needing one.

I even began pulling off the white stickers left on the page after we used all the adhesive medicine labels and stuck one on everyone. But Lee is a force, pouring his boundless energy into everyone around him.

The Silly Human Tricks are a big part of lightening the mood and spreading joy to those around us.

Angels Singing

2010-11-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

Second day at Tangsega. An earlier start and the previous setup from Saturday allowed us to see about 143 patients throughout the day.

Once things were up and running the pace of seeing patients was steady and constant in the clinic. Dr. Xavier Sanchez noted seeing a 6 year old girl who had been burned at a young age. She had lost two fingers and had burn scars on her hand and arm as well as on a large part of her scalp.
The mother asked Dr. Sanchez if he could do anything to get the hair to grow back on her head. Sadly, there is little he could do.

Dr. Steve Nelson mentioned the case of an otherwise healthy 55 year old woman with high enough blood pressure. He wants her to begin seeing a doctor on a regular basis to control this with medicines. Despite his best efforts via the interpreter, Moses, to convince her, he doubts that the woman will begin regular checkups.

It was her first visit to a doctor in her whole life.

Rebecca and Dorothy jumped into the masses of children, teaching some songs and proper hand washing to the kids. Exhausted at the end of the day, Dorothy remained very excited that the children spent almost two hours just drawing with pencil and paper. And Rebecca had special news indeed.

Guest Blogger: Rebecca Weber

Today I experienced the most exciting moment of my life. I was sitting in a hot stuffy room in the small village of Tangsega, Burkina Faso, crowded with over 75 kids.

I got up to speak about the characteristics of God and before I knew it the Holy Spirit was guiding my words into the salvation topic. Shortly after, more than 50 children were accepting Christ into their hearts. I don’t think I have ever seen something so beautiful in my life.

God is DEFINITELY at work here. It’s plain as day. My spirit has been rejuvenated and my soul is singing.

The Richness of Africa

2010-11-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

At one point today, amidst the seemingly endless line of patients to examine, Dr. Dora Leon said to Sheila Leech, “The richness of Africa is in its people.”

It was the first day in a new village called Tangsega. Our partners have told us it is not far from Toeghin but we took a very different route that brought us past rice fields and slightly more greenery. We also spent more time on a main road so our commute was slightly quicker.

As far as first days go, our setup was quick and fairly efficient and the doctors were seeing patients before I even realized it. At the end of the day we saw 106 people and were able to pull out at a decent hour.

Guest Blogger: Emily Martin

After having been in Burkina for the past week, I was beginning to wonder when the beating of drums and beautiful dance of the people would be seen.

Today was my answer. While filling a prescription in our school room pharmacy, I heard off in the distance the sound of a djembe drum. A group of young girls was under the shade of a large tree at midday, dancing and drumming while the younger kids watched.

Being able to take time away from the work and watch these beautiful people celebrate their lives reminded me of why Africa is seeded so deeply in my heart. Their intricate moves and rhythm all have meaning, telling a story from the history of their people.

Nowhere else in the world would I rather be than in the bush.

Living Stones

2010-11-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

A flat tire.

A traffic ticket violation by our taxi driver as we went to breakfast.

These two incidents delayed our arrival at Toeghin. When we finally arrived at the clinic, we observed a short line of stones and a plastic bottle. This, we were told, marked somebody's place among the many people standing in line or, in queue.

This temporal substitution of stones for a flesh and blood being immediately brought to mind 1 Peter 2:4-5:

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. “(ESV)

Our living stones (patients) were wisely waiting in the shade.

The day had begun with our minds preoccupied with details, and patients and organization. Later though, I was struck by the “Living Stones” that built our spiritual day into an acceptable sacrifice.

Our interpreter, Karim, echoed the theme as he shared with us his story. When he was young his mother became very sick with a problem with her ears. His Muslim family encountered a Christian who prayed for her and she was miraculously healed. Karim’s father, while remaining a Muslim himself, insisted that his wife and children become Christians in order to assure their health and safety. The fruit of this is Karim himself, who has selflessly served our doctors and nurses tirelessly throughout the day. And the light in his eyes testifies of Jesus.

At times I think our African brothers know more worship songs in English than I do. Rarely does a half hour pass without some songs, hymns or spiritual songs echoing across the clinic, many times by our interpreters who learned the songs during their English studies.

Doctor Dora Leon is walking out her own living sacrifice today. Feeling ill and dizzy, possibly from her malaria prevention medicine, she pressed on throughout the day. She, Dr. Steve Nelson and Dr. Xavier Sanchez treated 115 patients, despite our late start.

The colorful parachute flapped with the joy of the children’s smiles. As we walked through the area, we found our partners praying and chatting with local Muslims about Jesus. It only takes a small imagination, great partners and the Power of the Kingdom to see a line of stones flowing out the gate of the clinic at Toeghin and across the Sahel of Burkina Faso into eternity.

As one of the songs echoing today said:

Let it be, Lord Jesus, let it be.

Kindness and Gentleness in Toeghin

2010-11-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

Today was our second day in the village of Toeghin. However, the first day we saw very few patients because of an important political rally in the area. On Day One, Jessica McMillan treated 179 school kids for parasitic worms. We were able to take our time and see the village chief and organize everything for the next day.

The gentleness of the Burkina people has been very apparent. While working in the pharmacy, we noticed one woman patiently waiting for more than an hour. We realized that her prescription was setting unnoticed on a box of medicine, overlooked for a long time. Even when Jessica spoke to her through a translator and apologized profusely the women responded only with a gentle smile as she walked away.

Eight-four patients that came through our small clinic. No pushing or shoving. No aggressive demands. I was amazed at the lack of chaos (I have had different experience in other medical clinics I´ve helped with. We needed to put up rope barriers and exercise crowd control.)

But here in Burkina, one of the poorest countries in Africa, the gracious people simply wait patiently and quietly.

Now kids -- they're are the same everywhere. When the face paints were retrieved from the suitcase, a circle of young black faces quickly tightened around Becka and Dorothy. There was some shuffling as each tried to be next for a flower,a butterfly or a fish painted on their cheek.

The children are also very excited to color pictures and play games with our ladies. But a keen eye can still spot the signs of poverty and malnutrition amongst the smiling faces. Sheila commented that she saw more children without shoes in this village than anywhere else she has been in Africa.

Indeed the desolation of the village resembles a war zone more than a place to scratch out a subsistence farm. And yet they tell us that most of the patients from today have no source of income and spend their days raising maize and millet to eat.

Organized for Clinics at Komsilga Region

2010-11-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is our first day of seeing patients so today was a time for organization and planning. The team dug into the boxes of medicines purchased by our partners in Burkina Faso as well as the supplies transported from Ecuador.

Dorothy and Becka smiled with glee as they unpacked the colorful supplies for the kids’ ministry gathered so generously from HCJB Global offices in Colorado Springs.

We took stock of what we have and what we need. The doctors conferred about which medicines to use for various illnesses based on our inventory and the local knowledge from new friend David Zampou, who oversees many of the health workers in the region of Komsilga.

We are going south of Ouagadougou. Apparently, about 32 villages populate the region known as Komsilga and there is also a town by that name. Seven small government clinics serve some 52,000 inhabitants. (These are not all verified numbers and statistics, but it gives us a better picture of what we are getting into.)

We will be spending most of our time in two specific villages, but will likely see patients from many of the nearby communities. David told us we are likely to see a lot of coughs (resulting from the recent change from rainy season to dry), skin lesions, diarrheal illnesses and lots and lots of malaria. In fact, he told us that recent studies indicated that 70% of their patients who have fevers have malaria.

Interestingly, the rate of HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso is very low for Africa and we will likely not see many cases with those complications.

Surprise visitors to our dinner table were HCJB Global´s Andy and Linda Braio, who led the team that first introduced me to Burkina Faso about three years ago. They are in Burkina Faso helping with ACTS Burkina and their long-time friend Joanna Illboudou, who started that ministry for widows and orphans. The Braios helped plant a large garden to help grow vegetables for the children in the orphanage.

High Heels and Motorcycles

2010-11-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

Throughout Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, women in beautiful dresses and shiny high heeled shoes ride motorcycles for transportation. Many times they ride double with a friend or family member and additional cargo or children.

Dresses and high heels may not be the ideal clothing for motorcycling, but it works. Three-inch heels locked over the pegs on a motorbike don’t tend to slip, and somehow the women gracefully straddle the bikes without hiking up their skirts.

This, I think, may be a great metaphor for ministry in Africa. My cultural eyes look and see an unlikely mix of dress clothes and motorcycles. But Africans, in this case the Burkinabe (the name for the people of Burkina Faso), make it work with grace and ease.

This is just like ministry partnership at its finest. Our HCJB Global Hands team wanders in jet- lagged and in a cultural daze, yet with hearts to help and serve. Surely, we stick out like high heels on a motorcycle. Yet our African partner steers us in the right direction, connects us with the right helpers and surrounds us with great people and puts us in great places. All of this is done with the same grace and ease and surprising agility that allows the women here to climb on a motorcycle with a dress on.

And away we go…

Burkina Bound

2010-11-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I was asked to join a medical team working in the West African country of Burkina Faso, which is an inland nation just north of Ghana and just a bit larger than Colorado. Burkina Faso is a former French colony that is one of the poorest countries in Africa. The majority of the people are subsistence farmers and the country has few natural resources to build the economy. You can learn more at this link: Burkina Faso

I join several missionaries I've traveled with previously: Doctor Steve Nelson and his wife Dorothy (long-time missionaries in Ecuador and around the world. Steve is an amazing village doctor and the ever-young Dorothy is gifted at connecting with children of any culture), Sheila Leech (HCJB Global Hands missionary nurse and the VP of Healthcare within HCJB Global), Jessica McMillan (HCJB Global Missionary nurse with vast experience in Malawi and Ghana that belies her youth), Emily Martin ( HCJB Global missionary appointee who recently joined the mission following a medical trip in Ghana last year), Rebecca Weber ( a missionary kid from Ecuador who has always dreamed of going to Africa and shares Dorothy's heart for the kids), Doctor Dora Leon and Dr. Xavier Sanchez (two Ecuadorian doctors nearly finished with their residencies at Hospital Voz Andes in Quito, Ecuador). We are soon to be joined by HCJB Global regional director of Sub-Saharan Africa Lee Sonius and Liberian missionary Joseph Kebbie who are travelling up from Ghana tomorrow. We all come alongside HCJB Global's radio partner in the country, Radio Evangel Development (RED) who is already doing community development and has local Christians involved in these communities ahead and behind us. We hope to make them look good.

We have been joking that I am along to do the heavy lifting and "all back,no brains" is fine by me. I may help men in the community that are constructing a new latrine. I also remind the very busy doctors and nurses to drink and eat and take breaks. I count and bag pills in the pharmacy as needed. I simply pray God uses me however is needed to help the team do what they came to do. If God shows me something or someone to come alongside then I'm game. Pray with us that His will be done and that we can be reflections of His Kingdom come to earth.

From Our October Newsletter

2010-11-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

Riding Roller Coasters (by Nate)

The Dell Roller Coaster Express ride is ongoing. Following an exciting and encouraging two months in Ecuador on a special assignment with HCJB Global’s summer missionary program (read more about this below and in older blog posts), our financial support has now dropped to the lowest level it has ever been. Rachelle and I both felt the summer’s seeming success signaled a new season on our exciting missionary ride. Instead I’ve been left wondering if the ride may have to shut down for maintenance.

As the school year and Natalia’s volleyball season settled into routine I was planning on one trip to Ghana in February of 2011. In just the last week that has expanded to possible journeys to Burkina Faso, Haiti and Spain all before tax time next year. Pray for me as decisions and plans are made to serve these regions with teams of willing workers. If any of you are interested in being one of those willing workers please drop me an email. It would be fun to have you strap in next to me.

As always we feel blessed to be on this ride, whatever loops and twists it takes. We join with all creation in eager anticipation of what comes next. (Romans 8:19)

Gifts in Ecuador (By Rachelle)

I was able to do so much with my family this summer! More than any of the previous 10 summers in the U.S. We really bonded and had a lot of fun together in Ecuador. I especially treasured all the time I spent with Natalia. She enjoyed the adventures of getting out to see the city, shopping, trying new foods or swimming in the river.

As we drove down out of the Andes and into the edge of the jungle there was a rainbow. It seemed that the Lord was saying that He has some new things for us and that He wanted to redeem some things for us as a family that we thought were lost forever.

For the longest time I thought this was our goodbye trip and I could see how impossible it would be for me to function physically amongst the rigors of Ecuador. My heart ached knowing I’d have to say goodbye again. My ability to tolerate this trip was pure grace. As Nate said, “The pace was unsustainable.” But slowly over time, after we left the last village (Tali cried hard that time) and while travelling from Shell back to Quito the Lord started speaking to my heart. By the time we were at the airport waiting for our flight back to the U.S. I knew that the Lord will take us back there again. I do not know when, how, how long etc., but I believe Him. It was still sad and hard to leave, but what a gift after all this time.

The time we spent with our Waorani friends was a very special gift. It meant so much to me to see the friends who’ve lost spouses, children, health etc. They have my respect and admiration for their courage and faithfulness. Initially I felt so unable to do much ministry, but I was reminded once again that simply being with people, listening, crying, rejoicing is all the Lord is asking for. The rest will fall into place.

It was like watching the Lord fertilize and plant some seeds in Tali’s heart. It still makes me cry to remember the summer. She absolutely loved Ecuador...even the city (which is amazing because she says, “I don’t really like the city”). She soaked everything in and accepted uncertainties and new experiences with a lot of grace. Every time we talk about the summer she gets teary eyed. At the end of the trip we visited an orphanage. Watching Tali play with a little girl for an hour made me feel like I was watching something being birthed in Natalia. We will see…

An even greater gift: I am responding positively to a medication used to treat a genetic movement disorder called familial paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis. I’m seeing a decrease of pain and an improvement in energy. We don’t know if this will control the disorder forever, but I’m just loving the good days. As I research I’m discovering answers to things that started in my childhood when I was a toddler and older. We don’t have all the answers. The doctor feels that there is also something else, but I’m glad for the relief I’m experiencing! It is possible that Tali’s headaches and muscle spasms are related to this disorder so she will be undergoing lots of tests in October. It would be wonderful to know this early on how to help her.

The Lord knew before I was born what each and every one of my days would be like. He often has refining fires for each of us, but it looks different for every individual. I am at peace with His hand in my life in this regard. That much has been cemented in my heart these past few months. The Lord knows the future. Has this been a rude interruption into our lives? Or has it has been a divine intervention? This “rabbit trail” is part of our journey with the Lord. I don't understand it and I don't feel the need to understand it anymore. I don't know where God is going with this and, it feels strange to admit, I'm ok with that. He is good and I have seen His goodness so much more through these fires. I’d love it if He would reverse my disorder, but no matter what, we will be ok.

We Need Your Help

In order to continue our missionary work, we are in serious need of new monthly support. If you already give to us, would you prayerfully consider increasing your support? If you haven’t been able to partner financially with us in the past, would you prayerfully consider partnering with us now? Another way you could help us would be to consider inviting a group into your home and allow us to share what God is doing in our ministry and how they might be able to be involved with us. Others have felt comfortable asking their local church to consider inviting a new missionary to come and share the Lord’s work there. We would greatly appreciate whatever help you could give us to help us to continue to be the Voice and Hands of Jesus around the world. To give via the web please go to http://www.hcjb.org/donate-give-to-missionaries and type in "Nate and Rachelle Dell" so the money is credited to our ministry account. All donations are tax deductible and much appreciated.

Nate Dell shares Ecuador trip Sept 26th

2010-10-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

I found out that our sermon at Hot Sulphur Springs Community Church is on the web as a podcast! It's our first as far as I know. Keep listening until the end and you can hear Natalia rock her special song she chose. Here's the link:

Nate Dell shares Ecuador trip Sept 26th

Simple is the living...

2010-09-16T12:35:00.001-07:00

My head is stuck in a different world. We’ve come from a life of being outdoors more than indoors (or somewhere in between if the hut is open on both ends). That life is fairly simple with the activities of cooking breakfast (over a fire), going to wash the breakfast dishes in the stream, sitting down to weave string bags and talk with whoever is visiting with us, fixing lunch, doing dishes, visiting or hunting/fishing for Nate and Tali, doing some extreme wheelchairing to get to the river to bathe, washing clothes, more extreme wheelchairing to get home, visiting, cooking supper, total exhaustion, and climbing into the hammock at 8pm to go to sleep.

The next day we would do the same thing all over again. It was uncomplicated by buying groceries, getting Tali to school, keeping up with email, bills and seeing numerous doctors. No running around to sports activities, no music lessons, no TV, no music, no iphones or wiis. Entertainment comes in the form of interacting with friends. If we happened to have some “free” time we all wrote in our journals, bemoaned our language skills or just took a nap!

We are now in a world of living indoors, not worrying about what we’ll eat for the next meal, plumbing, electricity, every type of entertainment you can imagine...TV, movies, ads and billboards screaming about their products, stores which sell very little that is under $5.00, school, after school activities, music lessons....ugh, I have to stop. It is overwhelming. And I’m starting to fit back in. That makes me very sad. My focus is shot to pieces, I feel less grounded in knowing who I am in this world and it is a daily battle to remember that I’m here to advance God’s kingdom, not my own. I’m forgetting more and more that the little things don’t matter. So, I’m pretty much mourning all this, but it is going away all too quickly. My life here in the U.S. is very little about surviving and helping others around me survive. A far cry from the meaning and purpose I felt in Ecuador. But I know that God has me here in the U.S. right now and not in Ecuador. So, what am I to do here and now? And WHEN do we get to go back!=) Oh yeah, live in the here and now.

Gifts

2010-09-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

By Rachelle

I was able to do so much with my family this summer! More than any of the previous 10 summers. We really bonded and had a lot of fun together. I treasured all the time I had to spend with Natalia. She seemed to enjoy the adventures of getting out to see the city, go shopping or trying new foods.

For the longest time I thought this was our goodbye trip and I could see how impossible it would be for me to function physically there. My ability to tolerate it on this trip was pure grace. As Nate said, “The pace was unsustainable”. But slowly over time, after we left Tzapino (Tali cried hard that time) and while we went from Shell to Quito the Lord started speaking to my heart. By the time we were at the airport waiting for our flight, I knew that the Lord will take us back there again. I do not know when, how, how long etc., but I believe Him. It was still sad and hard to leave, but what a gift after all this time.

An even greater gift that boggles my mind: I am responding positively to a medication used to treat a genetic movement disorder called familial paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis. I’m seeing a monumental decrease of everything from the worst pain to the little things like insomnia, hormone imbalances and fatigue. We don’t know if this will control the disorder forever, but I’m just loving the good days. As I research I’m discovering answers to things that started in my childhood when I was a toddler and older. I can’t wrap my mind around the immensity of God’s goodness. It is possible that Tali’s headaches and muscle spasms are related to this disorder so we will be taking her to see my neurologist in a month or so. It would be wonderful to know this early on how to help her.

Three Villages

2010-09-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

By Rachelle

Our time in Waorani land was very special. We landed in Tewaeno and could hear the kids calling, "Menga (Nate) is here. Menga is here." Then Oma realized I was there also. He walked

over to me, put his hands on my shoulder and stood eye to eye with my while he told me how they have prayed and prayed and "here you are". No surprise to him. God answered his prayers.

I remember when he was in the hospital and we weren't sure he would live. He was having a great deal of anxiety so I went to the hospital to try and reassure him. I knew that I couldn’t pray in Waorani, so I prayed in english with little expectation....Oma immediately settled down and told me he was going to sleep and not worry. Oh me of little faith!

Lots of friends came and visited and shared their joys and sorrows of the last 10 years. A teenage daughter taking her own life, a spouse dying, a chronic illness...But all still continue to shine with a deep, golden glow of joy and peace. One gal shared about the loss of her 2 year old saying that at first she hurt so much, but is a little better now. No pretense, just honesty. I did not see bitterness in any of these friends. Just acceptance.

We flew on to the next village after a couple of days in Tewaeno. I looked over as we took off and saw tears dripping down Tali's face. She didn't want to leave. I had not expected that response, but my heart was breaking right along with hers.

Landing in Damointado was emotional as I saw friends that I hadn't seen in 15 years. They were preparing for a bible conference and we hoped to see the people who came for it. Five minutes before they broke into groups of men, women and children I was asked to lead the women's workshop. Fortunately, I had had my dad help translate my testimony from the last 10 years. I wanted the Waorani to know how much their walks of faith have encouraged me since I was a little girl to walk with the Lord in the good times and in the bad times. I was able to thank the older generation for that example. They have loved us and prayed for us more faithfully than I have prayed for them. I shared how I had worried how Natalia would respond if I was to die. Would she be angry? Would she walk away from God? But then God responded and reminded me that He is Tali’s father first. I told them that I had clung to God like a monkey clings to a tree and that in hard times they need God more than any other time.

They read some scriptures that fit and then the women shared what God had done for them and their families. Then one piped up and said, "Let's pray." (Whew. I could never pray in Waorani.) I hope I communicated my heart despite a different language and culture. I shared the same thing half a dozen times with various people and groups.

One little 7 yr old (the daughter of one of my childhood friends) seemed to be fascinated with my white skin and the fact that I used a wheelchair or cane to get around. The first day she just came and sat by me with her hand on my arm while she just looked and looked at me. The next day she did the same thing and then got up the courage to whisper, “Where did you fall?”. I explained that I had gotten sick and couldn’t walk well. That seemed to satisfy her for the moment. She was happy just to sit next to me with her hand on my arm. I was touched by her compassion. The next day she found me at the river bathing and I thought, “Wow, this kid’s compassion is amazing!”. Then she said, “My mom didn’t get any fish hooks.” Ok, so maybe I read a little too much in to it. Or, maybe not. Who knows!

The third and last village we went to was Tzapino where we had spent most of our time 10 years ago. We didn’t know if anyone still lived there because no one had flown in there for years and many people have moved to other villages. But as people came out of their houses to see what the plane was all about it just felt like we had made the right choice. We needed to be there, to reestablish frienships, to let God restore the years that the locusts have eaten. It was healing for my soul. Tali made a friend, Dawa, there who she went swimming with. That was an answer to a concern because I didn’t expect to see many kids her age. They are all out of school on vacation and most are traveling to other villages etc. Omene, faithful Omene came and did much the same as Oma did. He told me how they prayed for me all the time. His wife died of snake bite 5 years ago, but many of his kids and their families live in Tzapino. Other relatives are moving back to Tzapino to escape the effects of alcohol in their village.

2010-08-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Dell family had a great trip to visit the Waorani! We visited our friends both in Shell and Puyo (towns and cities on the edge of the jungle) where we attended a new-to-us Waorani/Spanish church in Puyo. It was great to hear the message going both from Spanish to Waorani and from Waorani to Spanish and at one point we even got some English to Waorani translation. From there we flew into the village of Tiweno where we got a nightly visit from this great tarantula. I helped dig a drainage ditch alongside the airstrip one day and Rachelle and Tali did a lot of work on some string and string bags while visiting with the ladies.

Our next village visit was to Damointaro where we joined in with a Bible conference run by Gaba from that village. We got to see lots of folks who traveled to town for the conference and joined in with soccer and games and dishwashing and cooking. Our Friend Chet Williams and his coworker Dana were there with a few team members to help out as well. The men there asked me to organize another mechanics workshop for them so if you know your way around the inside of a small engine and want to help then let me know.

From there we went back to where we used to have our house--Tzapino. The pace was much more laid back than the conference setting and we had a blast just hanging out and visiting. I got to join a couple of guys on a short spear fishing afternoon and we just had fun at the river swimming and bathing.

I think we all had a great time despite chigger bites and long hard walks for Rachelle. Everyone is tired but happy we did it. What a great summer.

Traveling

2010-07-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

We're packing up and preparing to head to Shell tomorrow. It's sad because we've enjoyed it here in Quito so much. Then we'll start preparing to go out to the jungle. Forgot how much work this is.

I'm struggling as we approach our time with the Waorani. I thought that I had accepted that we can't be here and had healed a lot, but I'm discovering that my heart still longs to be here. I'm reminded of what I can't do here more than I am at home. But neither of us feel that the Lord wants us here at this point in time anyway. So, I have to grieve(some more!) and then be at peace. My heart feels shredded. I do know that I can be content in either place, but I will always miss the people no matter where I am.

Tali is not well. I'm praying she recovers before we go out to the jungle. She's had a headache for a week now and aches all over and feels nauseated. She has tons of muscle spasms in her neck and shoulders.

We had our last pizza night with the students last night. We just did some debriefing with them (ie: What did you learn about Ecuador that you didn't expect? What did you learn about ministry and what did you learn about yourself? And, in light of this summer, now what?). It went well and was good for them to share.

Yesterday the maid told me about some trouble in her family over a piece of land and cried saying that their family used to be "united" and good friends, but that has all changed. They have a lawyer involved, but the other party harases her parents by yelling at them in front of their house (they all live in the same block in a small community). She is a Christian and told me it's all in God's hands, but it is hard to see her parents suffer. Sin looks the same in any culture and language.

Quito is much bigger and more modern. As we shopped the other day, a teenage Quichua girl, dressed in their traditional white embroidered top and long black skirts was minding her store of sweaters, scarfs, tablecloths and ponchos. Then I noticed that she was looking down and discovered that she was watching a soap opera on her iphone! Technology forms itself into unexpected places!

Please pray that I do well with the language. I've been having a lot of word finding difficulty since I started on Depakote. It's not an unusual side effect, but throw in another couple of languages and it's a real problem. I've had my dad help me write up what I want to say to the Waorani, but he struggled too. It's just so different....I know they will "see" what's in my heart, but I wanted to express it verbally too.

A Whale of a Time

2010-07-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

We, and 7 college students, left Quito while it was still dark and quiet on the streets. As we wound our way up and down through mountains and more tropical regions, we worked our way towards the coast. The 10-12 hour bus trip took us 9.5. Either our driver was going to get us there really fast or not at all.

Puerto Lopez was a colorless coastal town with mototaxis running people around on the dirt streets. One had a lone goat in the back. I wasn't sure who was taking whom for a ride. It was desert, few trees (no leaves right now) and cacti, but the hosteria was like an oasis, overlooking the town and bay. The pool on the side of the hill spilled over the far edge, looking like it was cascading towards the ocean. It was a view right out of national geographic. We could see the ocean from bed! The food was wonderful and the landscaping beautiful.

The weather was overcast and rainy, but we enjoyed swimming and picnicking nonetheless. The whale watching tour we went on was by far the best thing of the entire weekend. We spotted 2 whales about 15 minutes into the tour and followed them for a couple of hours. They come to have their young in warmer Ecuadorean waters. It was quite a thrill to watch them breach the water and hear them spout. We turned around to head back when three whales swam under our small boat. The third one jumped 20 feet off our bow, crashing down and turning the water to blue foam. The guide's eyes got really big and her face turned as white as the belly's of the whales. We had no idea that this wasn't a normal part of a tour. It left us all speechless. Watch out Jonah, here we come!

The group ended the day by snorkeling off a small island complete with the famous blue footed boobies from the Galapagos! It seemed that the Lord just kept on giving and giving us blessings. I was able to enjoy much of our time and be with the group!

The Carabuela Project

2010-07-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

My tendency on our blog is typically to post more fun stuff and side trips as opposed to stuff about work. Regardless, the work on the chlorination system for the clean water system in Carabuela has continued.

Things have NOT gone smoothly. The idea was that early on in our time here we would have the chlorination system up and running and the majority of our time would be spent helping adjust and regulate the chlorine levels while training the community water overseers on how to do this for themselves.

But the company that imported and installed these chlorine pumps ran into big trouble.One flow meter that measures the amount of water passing through a 4 inch pipe was the wrong model and cannot communicate with the chlorine pump. This company now has to wait a month for the new flow meter to be imported. Strike one.

The second chlorine pump that will dose the majority of the water system could not be turned on until we replaced some plumbing on the pump inlet and got a new base installed and welded down to some metal pieces embedded in the cement floor. Needed to do this: a welder we didn’t have and more precious time. Strike two.

This installation and welding took some effort and coordination. Thanks to Roberto, an Ecuadorian water engineer with HCJB Global, we were finally able to accomplish this. We finished that day all excited because we were able to start injecting chlorine into the majority of the water system. (This chlorine pump did not need a flow meter because we know the capacity of the main water pump and base the chlorine dosing on that known amount of water flow--about 7 liters per second.)

We returned to the community a week later ready to take chlorine readings throughout the system. However, when we arrived the president of the community water committee told us the chlorine pump had died after just 3 or 4 days of operation. Further investigation revealed that the metal shaft that comes out of the motor and turns to operate the pump mechanism was sheared off. It broke after just a few days when it should work for years and years. Something must be wrong in the dosing lines or with the pump itself. But because this Ecuadorian company installed this pump we need to wait for them to repair or replace it so we don’t get stuck with the cost of the second pump. Who knows how long this might take. Strike three.

The student’s last day on the project will be this coming Thursday so there will be little if any time for monitoring chlorine levels. Fortunately the entire project doesn’t ride on our shoulders. HCJB Global Water Projects has been working on the Carabuela water project for several years before this summer and will continue to help them after we are gone and until it is functioning well.

My only frustration is that we couldn’t be more of a part of the process. But it has been a realistic experience for the students. Projects, especially in developing countries, don’t always go as planned. Our prayer has been that God will be glorified in this community by the work, words and water that HCJB Global provides.

More important than pipes and pumps are the relationships we develop and that Christ’s light shines through us. One of my HCJB Global colleagues is fond of saying, “Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary.” Her point is that God’s love can shine through in our actions and interactions—making a powerful nonverbal testimony about Jesus through our lives. I pray that Carabuela sees a glimpse of the Truth through our efforts. Batter up! Keep swinging for the fence.

Shocks and Tractor Tires

2010-07-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Natalia was invited to go horseback riding 2 times last week! Her favorite thing in a new country. She has a big smile on her face most of the time!

We went to a hot springs at Papallacta over the weekend with the group of college missionaries. Tali had a great time! It seems she is game for any type of adventure. I may regret that when she is an adult and traveling around the world...

We decided to go shopping downtown in an open air market the other day. Nate doesn't have time to go with us so some friends have been so gracious to make sure we get out and about! The taxi drivers crammed my wheelchair into their trunks and tied it shut with a piece of plastic bag. Whatever works!

There were more ramps than I expected in the side walks, but at times I had to get out of the chair while Tali and our friends or a passerby lifted the chair over the curb or steps...or to go around a police car that was parked on the side walk. Between the potholes that my wheelchair would sometimes lurch into we had to watch for grates and grooves in the pavement that were just the right width to grab my front wheels. (I think I could use some shocks and maybe tractor tires instead!) It was an adventure, but Tali thanked me several times afterwards because she enjoyed it so much. We saw lots of crafts from around the country and bought a few things. But it was her smile that was the best! Tali's arms are still sore from all the pushing and pulling.

Our time with the Waorani is fast approaching and I'm struggling to know what I want to say and how to express it. My heart is already overflowing with emotion. If I want any help with the language from my dad it has to happen before we're out of email contact.

Memories

2010-07-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

By Rachelle

It sure feels good to be in Ecuador. I'm soaking in the sounds of the city, the honking horns, the sound of never-ending construction contrasted with the barking dogs and singing sparrows and vendors selling their wares. Natalia and I both had culture shock the night we landed. To go from the ranch which is surrounded on 3 sides by national forest to a city and homes that have no insulation from outside noise was a stretch! It is like having no glass in the windows. But we are both enjoying it now that we've gotten settled in to an apartment here.

The flight went well and the Lord provided some "angels" to assist us. Thanks for praying for the nausea. It has disappeared! Somebody helped themselves to a couple of things in our luggage, but it wasn't that important (a curling iron--must have been having a bad hair day...).

Getting out and about is an adventure with my wheelchair. It does not fit in all taxis and even then we have to dismantle it. I told Nate that I could do with some shocks to smooth out all the bumps and potholes! But everyone has been extremely helpful and kind, going out of their way to help. At the grocery store I could not wheel through the check out because it was too narrow, so the baggers just picked up the counter and moved it. Now there's a good reason not to fasten everything down!

I'm getting a lot more exercise just going from the bedroom to the kitchen so I sleep really well at night! Tali has been a huge help with laundry, dishes and cooking (and there is a maid, too). Pacing myself is a challenge as I want to do so much and see Tali experience everything first hand! It is great fun.

Tali and I are studying a little Spanish a bit each day. I'll need to add in some Waorani soon too. Nate was on facebook with a Waorani the other day so we may have visitors some day!

Tali is enjoying the tropical fruits and Ecuadorean food. We are hanging out a bit with the summer missionaries who are all college students so it is a bit similar to having all the Latigo staff to interact with. She seems to enjoy that.

Carabuela Water Project

2010-07-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to begin to explain what I've been up to while I'm up here in Ecuador. I'm assisting two engineering students from the USA (Neal and Ryan) with an HCJB Global Community Development water project in the community of Carabuela. Carabuela is a highland community consisting of mostly ethnic Quichua working in the textile industry. Most homes weave sweaters, ponchos and woven goods to sell in both local and international markets. Beautiful colors and patterns abound. As does beautiful mountains and pastoral panoramas.

Carabuela's population is around 3,000 people. The community had an existing water system but it was not functioning well when they approached HCJB Global to help in 2005. Things have been slowly improving ever since. Currently the system is providing much improved water to the majority of the residents through mostly new pipes with residential water meters in most houses.

The water comes from about a half-dozen various springs that are gathered in holding a large, underground holding tank(under this building and one other) and then pumped up (this is the pump--20 horse power mas o menos)to a large tank an the top of a nearby hill. This water is then gravity fed to both the higher houses and other reservoirs that sit lower in order to avoid overly-high pressures in the system.

What we are trying to do is add a chlorine disinfection system to remove the bacteria load from the system. This involves two points where the chlorine will be added from a concentrated tank into the water system based on the flow rates. The ideal is to have a ratio of about one part chlorine per million parts of water. This would be essentially equivalent to most residential water systems in the US. Of course things aren't going as smoothly as we would like, but such is the pace of community development most times.

Back in Ecuador

2010-06-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

After less than a week in Ecuador, the photos on my camera are telling. I love the mountains and scenery of this country. Check out a few of the views I've captured:

I've also been able to meet some great new friends and am starting to get to know the summer missionaries that I will be working with.

West Grand High School Baccalaureate 2010

2010-05-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

I got asked to address the graduates of my old Alma Mater at this year's baccalaureate address. For those who followed my preparation saga on Facebook I thought you might like to read what I finally came up with. The various colors and type were to help me with the oral delivery. It will be a long read so grab a cup of coffee first. Thanks for all your help!
22 years ago about this same time of year I was sitting right where you are. I am a West Grand Mustang with my picture on the wall and a fondness for purple and gold. But that was 22 years ago, a long long time by your standards—I’m ancient. But the years give a new perspective. Someone said that “Life must be lived forward—unfortunately it can only be understood backward.” I’m looking backward at this moment in my life while you are currently in the midst of it. While you are drinking it in fresh and new I’m dusting off an old memory from way back.

Graduation is a rite of passage (a ritual associated with a change of status), an accomplishment punctuated by a ceremony, celebrations and parties. It is a big deal.

I can tell you that part of you will always think back on this town, this school and these classmates as home. 22 years after the fact I still remember my classmate Curt singing at graduation, I still remember some of the highlights from my football games, the crazy things that we did our senior year. You are going to remember this stuff as well. You will call these people your friends and classmates forever.

But at this rite of passage, this point in your life, there is no doubt that things are changing. You will not be in school here next year. You will be on to new and different things, many of you to new and different places with new and different people. College, work, travel…

Are you ready? Can you make the right decisions? Go the right way? How will you know? How will you decide?

This is an important time with a lot of weighty decisions that you will have to make. Some of the decisions and paths will be laying the foundation for the rest of your life.

School can teach you math and science and reading and writing. But it hasn’t shown itself so successful at teaching morals and spiritual things. You may have the book knowledge required to graduate, but are you prepared to live life like you should?

When I was thinking about what to say in this talk at baccalaureate I posed the question to my Facebook friends. As the comments rolled in, one piece of advice that stuck out was “Tell them to Follow their Hearts.”

The heart is a good place to start.

The Bible says in Matthew 6 verse 21 that where a person’s treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We see this all the time—the things a person values or desires most are what they chase—what they put their hearts into. If you want a big trophy elk on the wall you hunt your heart out. If you want to win at basketball or volleyball or track you work hard, practice hard, listen to the coach and put everything you have into the effort. If you are all about money or status or popularity or politics you can chase those things. Many times this works. You can achieve what you work and strive for.

But this is a little tricky. The Bible also says in Luke 6 beginning in verse 44:

⁴⁴Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

The heart can be evil or good. The fruit of evil is evil. Good produces good. Is it really following your heart that makes you happy, fulfilled and content? Do any of those things make your life worthwhile?

· I’ve talked to guys wearing Superbowl rings who felt empty after the game.

· I’ve met rich people who are never happy.

· I’ve met popular people who can’t stand to be alone with themselves.

But let me tell you a story about the last time I was in Ghana, West Africa.

I was helping with a village medical outreach in the small village of Akurakese. It was the second day in that village. The doctors and nurses had seen around 250 patients the previous day. The rest of us were helping count pills, control the crowds, teaching about basic hygiene and hand-washing, playing games with the kids and helping wherever needed. On the second day we drove up in our vans to start the day. We had a lot of stuff to set up and get going for the day. As we got out of the vans there was already a crowd of people from the community. Since it’s Africa it was expected in that culture that we greet everyone and exchange pleasantries. So, still in my task-oriented mindset, I started shaking hands and saying “Hello, how are you today?” to everyone. Then when I asked one man this basic question he stopped me in my tracks with his answer: “I’m blessed and highly favored. How are you?” Not a “I’m fine, thank you.” Or “I’m doing well.” He upped the ante to “blessed and highly favored.” And , you know what--the joy showed on his face. The happiness was shining all over him. He had the spring in his step and joy leaking out in full-out smiles. This guy lived in a mud hut with a grass roof. Until just recently he drank murky, polluted water. He probably had three pairs of pants total. No chance for riches, education, or even owning a car. And yet he considered himself “Blessed and Highly favored.”

I can tell you from my travels around the world that many of the things our society here in America defines as “success” don’t bring happiness or peace.

Almost half the world — over three billion people on this planet — live on less than $2.50 a day. I’ve met a lot of these people who are filled with joy. They laugh and joke and love and give and share.

On the other hand, poverty doesn’t equal happiness. I’ve met plenty of the world’s poor who are deceptive, greedy, resentful and unhappy. Once again it points to the state of our hearts.

So if our heart follows what we treasure we need to be careful what we are treasuring. We need to be in touch with our heart. We need to ask ourselves the tough questions and figure out where our treasure is and decide where it should be.

This takes courage.

But remember you are laying a foundation. You are right now laying the building blocks for the rest of your life. This is important stuff.

Jesus talks about the importance of a good foundation right after he talked about judging a tree by its fruit in Luke chapter 6:

⁴⁷I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. ⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Did you catch what Jesus said? He said the person who hears him and puts his words into practice lays a good foundation that will weather the storm.

Right now at the end of High School as you are looking ahead at the next steps for your life know this: The condition of your heart is more important to God than the path you choose. Whether you are going to college or to work—or whatever you do—he is more concerned that you are listening and obeying Him than most anything else. He loves a teachable heart. The Bible says that through Jesus your heart can be purified, changed and redeemed. A heart like that can weather a storm.

I challenge you to take some time after the dust settles on this rite of passage that we call “Graduation” and courageously take time to listen to your heart. This is going to require courage. This is going to require a break from the frenetic activity that we call life these days. Cell phones, video games, crowds, busyness, loud music, incessant texting, —none of these things make it easy to listen to your heart. Turn them all off. Get quiet. Focus.

A writer named Martin R. De Haan II calls it “Sanctuary.” A place to go for new understanding and perspective. He says it’s a place set apart for spiritual protection, rest and renewal. He says it’s a spiritual hiding place where our hearts are restored and strengthened for the struggles of today and the challenges of tomorrow. It sounds like a good place to start building that strong foundation you will need to face the world.

Go there.

Take note of what you treasure. Ask yourself if it will weather a storm, ask yourself what kind of fruit it will produce, think about true happiness and fulfillment. Don’t settle for less. Life, what the Bible calls abundant life, is out there. It’s waiting for you. Go Get it.

Let’s Pray:

I Pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ would give you wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. I pray that out of God’s glorious riches he may strengthen you with power in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

(adapted from Paul’s prayers to the Ephesians)

Photos from Haiti

2010-04-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

I'm attaching a few photos from my trip to Haiti to scout out some opportunities for ministry teams there. The poverty and the scope of the disaster were overwhelming at times.

Clean Feet, Lartey and the Well

2010-02-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday February 24, 2010

Today for the team’s first day in Lartey, Pastor Charles from Theovision led a short devotional and led us in prayer to claim the village and the work there for the Lord. The African pastors and leaders seem to simply say, “now pray for this and that” and then the whole group simply prays out loud from wherever they are. It is a different type of corporate prayer than I’m used to but I like it. After that Reverend Theo started a song and all joined in quickly and strong. Soon some of the men were dancing and the mood of the day was set.

John prayed to dedicate the latrine that still had wet paint on it. However, the well drilling had not gone well in Lartey. They had already drilled several holes that didn’t have good water or any water at all. Then they had broke down again and the community still lacked clean water. Reverend Theo led us to the drilling rig and we prayed over it and for the community and the well. Please join me in praying for clean water in Lartey.

As we stepped up to the rig to pray, one of the ladies (Willi) stepped in some deep mud. She got it all up her leg and almost lost her flip-flop sandal in it. She later went to try and wash up and some men who had been painting the latrine noticed what she was doing. They rushed off and returned with water and a basin as well as towels and proceeded to wash her feet. In the evening Willi shared the story about how both her and Emily were standing there crying because of the act of service and love shown to her in such a Biblical manner. So often it is the one who goes to serve who is served in amazing ways with such generosity of spirit erupting out of economic poverty.

Despite the fact that it was a new village and we had dedications and prayers that delayed seeing the first patients, the doctors saw 427 patients. What an amazing team we have—not a whimper or complaint. Even when John dislocated his finger while playing catch. Tomorrow we are back for more but we know we have to quit early because we are driving back to Accra after tomorrow’s outreach.

“Blessed and Highly Favored”

2010-02-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Second day in Akurakese

A Tippy Tap in Akurakese

Second days are just simpler. We got ready quicker, we ate quicker, we got to the village a lot quicker and then everything is already relatively organized from the previous day. The team simply grabs the bins and boxes for the pharmacy, re-stocks the table and goes. The doctors even know which tables are theirs and set out their stuff. The kid’s workers grab whatever activities and go find the kids. On top of that, Theo and Monica’s prediction about more patients walking in from nearby came true. They were ready and waiting.

The bottom line is that when all that gets added together, we saw a lot more patients before we quit for the day—about 420. Some of the most commonly used medicines are running low and Charles from Theovision is trying to get some more delivered from Accra to allow the doctors to continue prescribing them.

But second days also allow more time to look around. One thing that really impressed the group was a stroll to the village’s previous latrine—an open pit—and their previous well—an open pit with murky soup almost up to ground level. What a great improvement the new latrine and water pump will be.

Today, fellow HCJB Global missionary Jeremy Maller and I got to set up an obstacle course for a group of boys. We had high stepping, weaving side to side around some coconut halves, hurdling a stick propped up on two stumps and then some jumping on one foot around some rocks. It really got fun when we added a soccer ball and had them do the entire course while kicking the ball along with them. Great fun.

I’ve discovered that on a day like this there is often some little thing that occurs that sticks with you for whatever reason. Today, that little thing happened almost immediately after I got out of the Tro Tro van that delivered us to the village.
A young man was one of the people I greeted as I moved through the gathered crowd toward the site of the clinic. To my typical inquiry of “How are you today?” this young man gave me a poignant reply that I pondered several times throughout the day. “Blessed and highly favored,” was his answer. Not “fine” or “very well, thanks” or any of the stock replies I normally hear—but rather “Blessed and highly favored.” The smile on his face and the joy in his step gave weight to his testimony and it wasn’t long until a group began singing songs of Jesus to kick off our day. No one sang with more joy than that same young man.

I thought of him again later when someone was contemplating out loud about the future plight of some of the young women they had seen. They speculated that most would simply get married, have children, live the majority of their lives in that same village in the same way their mothers did. Indeed it is true and the inequality of their lives in comparison to ours in this world is great and convicting in its own right.

But this man’s reply to my daily inquiry made me realize that in God’s own Kingdom he is indeed “blessed and highly favored.” There is no favoritism placed on our rich nation in God’s house. The young women who marry, bear children and live their whole lives in Akurakese in glorious fellowship with Jesus will not be short changed in the long run. Sheila Leech, HCJB Global’s International Healthcare Director, pointed this out in today’s closing ceremony when she stressed that more important than the physical health of the village and Latrines and Doctors and Clean Water is the relationship between them and Jesus.

And what about me? How many times do I get caught in my own troubles, my own junk? I easily forget that we are co-heirs with Christ --the savior of the world. I am also, by His grace, BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED. May this man’s joy infect my heart!

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10-11

God Sightings

2010-02-26T23:36:00.000-08:00

Monday, Feb. 22, 2010

First day in the village of Akurakese

As we drove into the village the new, shiny well pump and fresh cement slab were there to greet us on our right hand side. We pulled into a parking area to the left and spotted the palm branch shelter reminding those of us who were part of the medical outreach last year of the setup in the village of Hateka. After a short welcome from the Elders and Chiefs, Theo Asare and Woodmen Valley’s Deb Brown offered a prayer of dedication for the new well. Deb Brown was the first to pump some cool, fresh water and it was powerful to see the elders all move in for a taste, nodding their heads in satisfaction. I tasted some and it really is delicious.

Later in the day I walked down to the old, hand-dug water source and took a look. It was murky, only a few inches below ground level and situated in a low lying mud hole with log slabs to balance on while you fetched the water. Let there be no doubt the new well will be used. Not only is it closer to the houses, it provides clean, fresh tasting water. The new well coupled with the Latrine should really improve overall health in Akurakese.

Akurakese is a smaller village with only a baker’s dozen houses scattered around the schoolyard. The patients were scattered as well, trickling in all day without the chaotic, pushy lines in some of the larger villages. The team seemed to really appreciate this pace and the kid’s workers were able to enjoy working with smaller groups as well. One of my favorite memories was seeing Mike trying to teach a group of boys how to play duck, duck, goose. When one boy didn’t understand that he was supposed to run around the circle after being tagged, Mike effortlessly hoisted him onto his shoulder and ran around the circle with him. The boy giggled the whole way, lit up with joy and fun. Later Duane commented how joyful all the kids seemed when the team joined them to play and gave them attention. It was obvious they loved it.

Ransford, a radio partner of HCJB Global in Sierra Leone who was observing the health outreach to determine if it may be a viable option for his nation, shared a story of how a group of white missionaries once came to his village when he was a child. To this day he has never forgotten it and he believes some seeds were planted that later grew to the point where he gave his life to Christ. May it be so for the kids our team touches as well.

The overall pace was steady but not stressful, the temperature seemed cooler and there was time for everyone to grab a few breaks here and there. Nonetheless, by the end of the day we had still seen more than 250 patients. Theo and Monica both said that more people will be there tomorrow from nearby villages once the word gets out about the doctors. Later in the day we were already seeing some patients that had walked in from nearby settlements. I’m sure tomorrow we will have even more.

On the way home we met a large flatbed truck and had to back up to allow him to get by. At dinner Theo informed us that the truck was actually hauling some special equipment needed to repair the well drilling rig that was broke down in Lartey. They were with the same company that Theo had hired to drill the well and became much friendlier about having to share the one-lane road after they realized who they had met.

A great time of debriefing before we headed back to the hotel just reiterated the great vibes from the day and we had many “God Sightings” that people shared. The porch lights above us were a haven for some small lizards or geckos who were eagerly feasting on the flying insects hovering around the lights. We all watched them scurry around devouring the largest morsels. Even a rainstorm and the ensuing power outage weren’t enough to extinguish our good moods.

A Needed Break

2010-02-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

Petting a Croc
Elmina Slave Castle Tour
Canopy Walk in a National Park Rainforest

Life on FM in Assin Fosu

2010-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday February 20, 2010

Radio Dedication in Assin Fosu

I had no idea the dedication of a new radio station would be such a big deal. I would estimate that over 500 people attended the festivities with brightly colored tents and hundreds of plastic chairs arranged in a u-shaped stage set up in the empty lot beside the new radio studios. Local officials, pastors, leaders, businessmen, the Muslim imam in the area, dozens of taxi drivers and dignitaries joined the tribal leaders in lots of speechmaking and hoopla to kick of the station. The Assin Fosu station NKWA 88.1 FM (meaning “Life”) really is the first local community radio station. Everyone is really excited about it. The whole ceremony was broadcast live on the air and the crowd grew as time went on. We were told that the majority of the taxi drivers had already found the station and were faithfully listening. Traditional drums and dancing punctuated the air for the dancers and helpers in radio station t-shirts passed out water to the sweating crowd.

HCJB Global President Wayne Pederson was on hand to deliver a great speech as well. Even some of the locals looked hot under the tents and I was baking. Woodmen Valley team member Emily simply finds a small child to hold and distracts herself from the heat and the hoopla by loving them. Not a bad deal for her because they soon seem to fall asleep in her arms. This happened several times with Emily—I think it is something about her sweet quiet spirit that puts the kids at ease. I am a bit jealous because the children I try and hold always cry and want away from me when they see my beard!

I passed my time listening to the speeches in Twi (the local language) by watching this hilarious guy who was pretending to video tape the dedication festivities while holding a "video camera" fashioned out of old car parts with a lens made out of an old piece of mirror. He milled around with the crowd and even went out next to the real camera man for part of the ceremony. No one seemed to know who he was or why he was doing his camera spoof. But he did have the best view in the house.

Christian, Donnelle and Louis had to leave right after the end of the ceremony while everyone was milling around in order to return to Accra and catch their flight home. While loading their luggage and saying goodbye I spotted the goat the last village had given us tied behind the radio station with an old paint can full of water for it to drink. I’m pretty sure it will be our supper before too long.

Later, when we walked around some of the local markets in another part of town we heard many people with their radios tuned in to NKWA. I pray the programming and music will bring many listeners to the source of LIFE.

Pushy Patients aren’t the Sick

2010-02-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Thursday February 18, 2010

Last Day in Anhwaiso

Sometimes it’s hard to deal with all the pushing, finagling and coaxing with people trying to get themselves, their friends or family to the front of the line. It gets really old when you are doing crowd control or manning registration or trying to control the chaos. But today I tried to put myself in their shoes. If my wife or daughter was sick I’d try about anything to get her in to see a doc.

I’m reminded of the story of the four guys who cut a hole and lowered their friend down through the roof just so he could be touched by Jesus. They were rewarded by their tenacity and often, I’ll admit, the pushy get seen by the docs and there are some serious difficulties in keeping things equitable and fair.

The trouble is we need to see the sick and often they travel slow and don’t push as hard. It stinks but some healthy people get run through the system because they pushed hard and were loud or rude. I find it equally hard to make the call to stop seeing patients when there seems to be just as many waiting at the end of the day as there were at the start. And yet we only have limited medical people and resources. We can never see them all or cure everyone. God give us eyes to see your agenda through it all. Multiply our meager amount of good.

I’m tired and the team is tired. Good thing tomorrow is a tourist fun day.

Pastor Crazy Man

2010-02-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Wednesday February 17, 2010

First day in Anhwaiso. The medical clinic setup at this village was underneath some large olive green canvas tarps supported by locally cut lumber. I could tell the boards were cut freehand with a chainsaw just like I used to do with the Waorani in Ecuador. It was some sort of yellow hardwood but when I examined it closely one of the village elders quickly noticed and began teasing me that he would build a house for my family if I’d come and live there. Then he said I could just live in his house with his family. I love the smiles and trust.

The Woodmen Valley team really has caught on to the system for the medical outreach so organizing and getting rolling seemed to happen fairly quickly after the obligatory ceremony with the chiefs and elders. Theovision and the elders dedicated a new latrine as well, which was a nice bonus because we then got to be the first to use it while it still smelled more of paint than what I’m sure it will smell like next time anyone goes to that village. I pray it will help to improve hygiene and health.

Soon ropes were up to control the crowds and registration was efficiently sending patients to the doctors. The kids outreach took place in the nearby school and the open areas around it. Emily, a nurse, took some time off from the pharmacy today to just be with the kids. I never saw her without a smile and rarely was her braided red head not surrounded by a host of smiling girls and boys.

At one point I took a stroll down the road in front of the clinic area to get a wide view photo. After snapping a few of those a young man who was headed home asked if I’d like to take a look around the village with him. I really enjoyed seeing the mosque, the local produce, the goats that are everywhere and a Pentecostal church. Someone had written “Pastor Crazy Man” with chalk on the back wall of the church building. (I think I’ve attended a few churches with the same pastor.)

There were courtyards and hand dug wells interspersed amongst the clay and cement dwellings. The people away from the crowds were so welcoming and they enjoyed posing for photos. I got called back into several courtyards to take a second or third picture after they had gathered a few extra people. One guy even pulled out his cell phone camera to take a picture of me taking his picture.

Cocoa seems to be the main industry here as opposed to the palm harvesting operation nearby the last village. But there was plenty of okra, peppers, yams, small fish and tomatoes around at various tables in front the houses. It seems like there is a fairly steady food supply.

Back at the clinic, the tarps and the positioning of the nearby buildings and the crowd prevented much of the breeze from hitting the doctors and the pharmacy people so things got-- and stayed-- really hot. By early afternoon everyone was tired and flushed despite multiple breaks and gallons of water and other drinks. I had to take it easy for awhile after my village tour because I could feel the heat working on me as well. We decided to cut the registration off at 300 patients for the day. Tomorrow we return to finish up.

Tippy Taps and Donelle the Star

2010-02-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

Tuesday February 16, 2010

Second day at Amoakroam

Well I built my first tippy tap of the trip but it didn’t work as well as I would have liked. For those who don’t know what a tippy tap is, it is an “appropriate technology” fashioned out of a simple plastic jug, some rope and a bar of soap. It is used to wash hands without much water. I think I placed the pivot point too high so you had to pull hard on the string to be able to get water. If I can get the same type of jug tomorrow I might be able to do better.

Another huge day of seeing patients and Donelle really was a star. We saw around 325 adult patients and more than 280 school kids. Donnelle. a pediatric nurse back home, was assessing kids all day and sending the sickest to the doctors. The others received parasite treatment and some vitamins . The majority of the 280 kids passed under her loving hands. Her room was full to overflowing and always the noisiest by far. For awhile Woodmen’s two biggest guys—Louis and Mike—made a checkpoint in the hallway to prevent cutting in line and try and keep only a few at a time from entering. What a job! But after dinner they shared that they actually were able to have some good time talking with the kids and ended up enjoying the task. Sue was the enforcer inside the room, doing her best to keep chaos to a minimum.

Willi and Charlotte had a great group of about 25 girls around them outside under a shade tree and were singing and playing games all afternoon. Their entourage was sad to see me pull them away for a break and some water but I was harping on everyone all day about staying hydrated and watching out for overheating in the sun. Too little too late and you can really have problems with the heat in Ghana.

Our time in Amoakroam was punctuated by a ceremony by the chiefs and invitations to return. The kids stole several team member’s hearts as we drove away with their new companions waving goodbye.

On our way toward town at the end of the day we drove by Theovision’s new radio station in Assin Fosu and got the grand tour. My favorite part was the studio, not just because the DJ was live on the air and interviewed Cristian and Sheila on behalf of the team, but also because that room’s air conditioning was cranked way up and blowing cool air all down my back. I considered a stint as a DJ on the radio right then and there but a delicious dinner of chicken and rice and watermelon was waiting for us and my eyelids were already drooping.

Another good day.

Raw Sewage and a Throne

2010-02-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

Monday February 15, 2010

The alarm seemed to beep way too soon but my excitement for the medical outreach still made crawling out of bed tolerable. Pickup at 630 and breakfast at 7 then hop in some hired minivans known locally as “Tro Tros.” About an hour got us the village of Amoakroam. A host of uniformed schoolchildren quickly enveloped the team members as we exited our vans, nearly overwhelming Willi whose vibrant energy seemed to feed the swarm and carry her deeper into the throng.

Soon Theovision’s project man Charles was leading the team down through the village to the new latrine project where footings a cistern and the cement forms for ongoing progress were in place. Our stroll through the village while carefully avoiding stepping in the raw sewage drainage was a great lesson in how simple things like a well-placed latrine can make a huge difference in village health. Amoakroam already has a good well so a nice latrine will complete that all-important village health “big two”—a well and a latrine.

Just a few minutes later the team was unloading the trucks to begin setting up for a day’s worth of mobile medical outreach. The flow of registration to vital signs to doctor to pharmacy was established and those not directly involved in patient care or pill counting soon were off with swarms of children eagerly playing simon says, duck duck goose or soccer. Manolo’s drama and mime were a hit and his unending energy was and is a great asset. But wait, word came that the village chief had arrived. Stop everything!

Chairs were gathered, a throne fetched and a small animal fur placed at its foot. The Chief, his staff holder and public announcer filed into the room with a dozen additional elders or so. Dressed in colorful draped clothes with one shoulder exposed, the chief was easy to spot in his crown with silver medallions. He took the seat of honor and his staff bearer sat in front of the group to act as voice for the king. At least that is how he seemed at that point—kingly, like royalty. The staff was nearly as tall as the men and towered over them once they sat. A carving of some sort adorned the top and all was painted gold. Later I was told that the carving symbolized that many hands must work together to lift up the village. Indeed this is the message we are living during this trip through our partnership with Woodmen Valley Chapel, HCJB Global and Theovision. All of us working together in dynamic partnership that accomplishes much more than any one of us could alone.

At the end of the day we saw 327 patients and filled around 1500 prescriptions. The children were entertained and heard a lot of stories about God and Jesus. By the end of the day I did not see anyone who wasn’t exhausted and ready to stop. An amazing first day. God give us new mercies for tomorrow!

Two Points and a Cockroach

2010-02-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday Feb. 14

The team attended Rev. Theo’s church on Sunday morning. Most seemed to enjoy the energetic dancing and some even joined in. Deb Brown was able to coax Rev. Theo to join the dance line for a round and Mike joined in with a couple of the Ecuadorian docs and all seemed to be able to make their bodies express the joy of the Lord. Introductions were a large part of the service with the entire population of white folks rising at one time or another to be named. HCJB Global president Wayne Pederson was the final intro and he soon began his sermon highlighting two points—1. Love God and 2. Love others. A great Valentine’s Day sermon. After a wonderful lunch at Theo and Monica’s house we hopped on the bus to head to Assin Fosu to walk out Wayne’s marching orders with the medical outreach.

A couple hours into our 3 hour journey from Accra to Assin Fosu, as the road narrowed and traffic got more scarce, Dr. Steve poignantly noted, “It’s difficult to imagine a road like this leading to air conditioned rooms. “ Indeed, the hotel situation was not the best, but most had working air conditioning. A few glitches and a serious cockroach encounter later everyone was tired and seemed to settle in for a short night’s sleep. Tomorrow it is up early and out to the village!

At the market, “My Friend”

2010-02-13T15:15:00.001-08:00

After a hard week of physical labor in the tropical heat, today the team got the chance to relax. We went to a local market area and discovered there are some serious power shoppers amongst us. Woodcarvings, Kente cloth and jewelry were among the finds. Hard bargaining was required and every time right as you exited a small shop you were met by another smiling face saying, “My friend, come this way. You look at my shop.” I did pretty well, getting most items down around 50 percent of the asking price. All part of the game. I hope Rachelle and Natalia like the little things I got for them.

After some rest and repacking this afternoon we finally got the entire group together at Lee and Michelle Sonius’ house. The team from Ecuador met the team from Woodmen Valley and the rest of the Woodmen Valley folks arrived safe and sound. Theo and his wife Monica were also there to welcome the newcomers and interact with those of us they already know. Even Duane arrived and is bunking with Louis and I.

We are all looking forward to working together and I’m looking forward to getting to work with the returning medical folks again. Go God!

A Celebration

2010-02-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

Friday, Feb. 12

Last Day at Tree of Life Health Post

Work started in with a more subdued pace than previous days and fewer crew members were around because the work was becoming more specialized and fewer diverse workers were needed. I also think for the team that everyone was a little sad about having to leave at the end of the day. But as the sun beat relentlessly on our heads we settled into our various tasks. I felt very lethargic and took some good breaks—I think I had overdone it the day before with a few too many wheelbarrows of concrete. It wasn’t long until we all got a lesson on not overdoing it in the tropical heat.

Not long before lunch I noticed our team member Willi was looking red and overheated. She went down to take a break and drink something. But it was too little too late and she ended up really dizzy and nauseated from the heat. Emily, her good friend who is also an accomplished nurse, got some ice packs on some key cooling spots and we took her to an air conditioned office in the Theovision headquarters. By lunch she was back to walking on her own and feeling better. What was really great was how concerned the crew were for her and a couple of the men even said they were praying for her.

Right after lunch we posed for a picture with the team and the Ghanaian crew all lined up across the front of the building. They were as excited to pose with us as we were. A couple more hours of block work and then we got permission from the boss to teach our new Ghanaian friends a little American Football. Woodmen Valley team member Mike happens to be the offensive coordinator for the Air Force Falcons as well as a great athlete himself. I can’t say the Saints have much to worry about from a Ghanaian team yet, but we had a great time tossing the ball and chasing each other around. We ended in a tie after a no-rules, no-strategy game but more importantly a celebration of our week had occurred that transitioned nicely to a time of goodbyes.

The construction company owner gathered the team and presented us each with a beautiful Kente cloth banner that he placed around each of our necks along with his thanks. A great end to a great week. I’m really proud of my team.

The Water Lady

2010-02-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

Thursday Feb. 11

I realized I didn’t know her name-- yet. The water lady. The young woman who must clean and take care of Theovision’s headquarters in some way has also been helping our group by stocking our water every morning and then several times a day and cleaning out coolers every afternoon after we leave. She has swept the area under our palm tree break station and provides a cardboard box for our trash. She is one of so many servants that make or break a trip like this. She is quiet and unassuming and has a beautiful smile, tirelessly providing something that everyone would howl about quickly if it wasn’t there—water and cold drinks. Edit: later I found out her name was Esther.

Later in the day I climbed to the third story of the Theovision building to get an overview photo of the construction from the balcony. Charles, a Theovision employee, was up there as well simply looking. As I came up beside him he revealed that Theovision workers were taking turns during theri day for a coordinated, all day prayer effort for our team. Again, it is the servants. God may I be your servant as well.

Cristian's Perspective

2010-02-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

Wednesday Feb. 10, 2010

Day three at the construction site

The following day’s summary was written by team member Cristian Barcan. I think he does a good job. If you want you can follow his blog at http://cbinghana.blogspot.com/

It feels like it has become a routine... As if we've been doing this for awhile...

Wake up at 6 AM, breakfast at 7 AM, off to the construction site by 7:30 AM, worship time at 8:00AM... actually, not today - Theovision decided to have an internal devotional today... So we went straight to work.

More veil has come down all right. People were expecting us this morning almost as their crew members.

Ebenezer and Rashid have opened up a lot today. John is making friends among the concrete workers - they even asked him for his phone number: "Do you text, John?" Mike and Nate ended up arm wrestling with a few crew members. When Nate won a game, a loud cheer erupted in the whole compound. People were able to integrate more today and find niches where they can plug in better and communicate better with the locals.

We got concrete in this afternoon and some of us helped carrying the wheelbarrows to the pool located next to the building.

A great day overall. "See you tomorrow !!" waived the crew . We're part of the team now. It will be hard on Friday - we're making so many friends.

Today was also cloths washing day, but this is Ghana (we were told...) and the power went out. Kristin volunteered to finish the job overnight (how gratefull - thank you, Kristin !!).

Right before dinner, the rain came down... Not pouring down like around the tropics, but steady, straight, quiet, and beautiful. We all wished we weren't dressed up so we can get soaked after four days of oven-hot sun.

We had a great Chinese dinner at a local Chinese-Indian restaurant together with the leadership (global and local) of HCJB Global. The Chinese food was great and it was amplified by the Indian music in the background. Asia seems so far from here, with all countries in the same bucket. The waiters were Ghanaian, but dressed Chinese... kinda cute...

Tomorrow's a special day: the president of HCJB will help us with construction work and Jeremy (local HCJB missionary) will pick up his fiancée Jessica from the airport who's coming from HCJB Global in Malawi to plan their wedding. Jeremy's parents, Steve and Cindy, from Indiana are visiting and they are very eager to meet their future daughter... We've been teasing Jeremy around the whole day with this.

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for such a great day - thank you for opening veils continuously and allowing us to share your love with these people. Please help us find opportunities to witness before we leave on Friday. We are relying in your mercy and grace again tomorrow as we're getting ready to be amazed again by your beauty. In the Lord's Jesus name we pray - Amen.

The Veil Falls

2010-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Tuesday Feb. 9, 2010

Day two at Tree of Life Health Post

Praises start the morning as the team joined the Theovision staff for a short time of devotions and prayer. Theovision began with the idea of creating audio scriptures in various tribal languages around Africa. From there their ministry has expanded to create listening clubs in the villages, ongoing recordings of yet more languages as well as radio and healthcare and community development. They fit well with HCJB Global because they believe evangelism happens best through both proclaiming the Gospel and loving the people in tangible ways. But what became very evident is that these Theovision people know how to pray! Thank you Lord that they are praying for us while we are here.
Last night one of the team members gave a devotional time about the veil coming down in the temple—removing the separation between man and God through Christ Jesus. Indeed, at the jobsite today the separation also began coming down between us and our new Ghanaian friends. Jesus came and broke down barriers of race, religion and culture to reach out. I pray it is the same for us.

Integration

2010-02-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

Monday Feb. 8, 2010

Day one at Tree of Life Health Post

Amazing progress on the jobsite welcomed the team from Woodmen Valley Chapel as we arrived at the construction site on Monday morning. The contractor and his crew had obviously been working diligently to prepare the footings and pillars that will allow the team to begin laying concrete blocks. After some rest to recover from jet lag that was mostly negated by the late hour required to watch the Superbowl, the team was still itching to get their hands dirty. Reverend Theo Asare met the team and showed them a short tour of the Theovision headquarters before we started. I love the sign he has on his desk that says, "Make no small plans here." Indeed, the Tree of Life Health Post day clinic , situated directly beside the Theovision headquarters, is the fruit of this type of thinking. We met the jobsite foreman and began the process of integrating ourselves into the workflow. This process didn’t go great the first day and there were many awkward moments as we tried to learn to work together with the Ghanaian crew. I learned a few names and was glad to discover that many were familiar to me—Sylvester, Foster, Ebenezer, Frank—with a few Kofu and Rasheed type names mixed in. All are said with a strong accent so often it is hard to figure out someone's name. It is some consolation that they are no better at pronouncing our names.

Joy in Giving

2010-02-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

Accra, Ghana

On Sunday February 7, 2010 services at the church Lee and Michelle Sonius attend on the campus of the University of Ghana. At first the academic setting seemed to saturate everything with an intellectual tone. The music and the message were intelligent and well done, but the crowd was somewhat subdued and quiet in comparison to other African churches I've been at. Yet when the offering baskets were placed up front and the music started for the offertory, everything changed. Joyous singing arose from every mouth. Feet began to shuffle, bodies began to sway and hands clapped rhythms that seemed to arise from every soul. Joy arose from giving. What a testimony to the Kingdom of God that the most celebrated event at the church is the act of generous and spontaneous giving.

New Feature

2010-01-25T11:17:00.000-08:00

I put a new feed in the bottom right corner of our blog that automatically updates with the latest Tweets from HCJB Global. A lot from our medical team in Haiti recently.